By Winny Oloo

On February 22, the Placements & Careers (PACS) Department, led by Patricia Gichuki, organized a Career Clinic for students at the Nairobi Garage Pinetree Hotel. The event, co-hosted by Yusudi and Education for all Children (EFAC), featured Human Resources professionals from various organizations who mentored attending students. Topics covered included interviewing skills, CV writing, and LinkedIn. The event was attended by HR managers, senior managers, and students and alumni from different universities across the city.

The Career Clinic not only provided a platform for learning but also created a networking opportunity for the students with various employers. The standout moment was the interactive group session, where students engaged directly with HR Managers from different companies. They presented their CVs for review and received valuable insights, helping them navigate the intricacies of the hiring process and salary negotiations.

Dorcas Nderitu, a HR Manager noted that the face of recruitment has changed and fresh graduates need to put in a lot more effort to get the hiring manager’s attention. “HR professionals now rely on automated recruitment processes to handle the large number of applications efficiently. As a result, job seekers need to understand how these systems work to improve their chances of securing initial interviews. Unfortunately, many entry-level graduates in Kenya lack this crucial knowledge, leading to missed opportunities and job search frustrations,” she said.

The PACS Department organizes individual and group sessions for CV/resume critique, cover letter review, interview coaching and mock interviews for students and alumni throughout the semester. For any assistance with a job application, kindly contact careeroffice@usiu.ac.ke or book an appointment directly with a career advisor or career peer advisor using this link.